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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
HOLY MOTHER OF GOD THAT PLOT TWIST LIKE WHAT THE ACTUAL THAT WAS EPIC SO GOOD OMG Y'ALL READ IT NOW
I'm slowly phasing young adult out of my reading life but had to read this because it's Sonya Sones. I was disappointed. The 7? or 11? year old brother was super annoying. He was hard to understand..everything he said was "written in lisp." I'm not a fan of unreliable narrators though SS did a pretty good job of making it clear when Colette was jumping between reality and non-reality.
More like a 3.75 but overall a pretty good book. Really enjoyed the last few pages.
Colette's mother is a movie star, and this summer, she's shuffling Colette and her little brother away from their home and the promise summer in Paris to a small town in California where she's filming her next movie. Colette's beyond bummed about this, but when she meets Connor, she starts to sing a little bit of a different tune. Maybe it won't be so bad when there's a cute boy around.
Something to know about Colette: she's a liar. She lies about everything. And it's not that she's an unreliable narrator. She's completely reliable -- if you accept she's a liar.
Colette and Connor are in lovvveee or so it feels. And when Colette tells her mother she needs alone time with Connor, away from her brother, her mother grants this wish to her. She even leaves a box of condoms, in order for them to be truly safe.
But Colette's not ready for that quite yet. Even though she's told Connor she's 18 (she's not -- she's 15) and that she's experiences (she's not -- she's a virgin), when the time comes for them to take their relationship somewhere more physical, she takes a stand and says no.
That's when Connor gets back at her for her lies.
He wants to get with Colette so badly, he tells her he has cancer. He goes as far as to make himself look sick -- a slick little trick Colette herself has tried in order to get attention. As a reader, I had a suspicion he was lying about this. But Colette is none the wiser, nor would she be. He's convincing! His head is bald. He looks sick.
It's all a rouse so he can get her to sleep with him. And yes, it's a big charade for a sexual encounter, but as he tells her later, he's gone further. It was a conquest for him. To make it more disturbing, he's not 18 like he claims.
He's 21.
Since no sex goes down -- Colette figures him out before it could happen -- there's no rape, no charges. But she wants to get back and get even.
Except, Colette comes around before the big "gotcha" happens.
The turnaround in Colette is believable and I was appreciative of it. I didn't love her as a character but that's why I was compelled by her. In fact, when she was prepared to take Connor for a ride herself, I was really invested. Would she REALLY go through with her plans or was this a rouse on us, as readers?
I felt the end of this book was almost a cheap way out of the story. But I had to remember the main character is 15 -- just turned 16 at that point -- and so it was less of a cheap way out and more of a realistic way out of HER story. I believe her and it, even if it wasn't my favorite ending.
Sones masters verse novels. This is how verse WORKS. It plays with the story, and it tells enough, leaving enough UNSAID to make the reader wonder where and how Colette is leading us on. Her voice is spot on, and I thought the relationship she had with her learning-disabled younger brother was sweet and authentic. The wrap up with her mother and her mother's boyfriend was a little schmaltzy for me, but it was believable in context of the story.
This one is for YA readers who like challenging characters, who like verse novels, and who are good with "tough" topics like sex, drugs, and drinking in their books. Even though Colette is on the younger side, this is one to hand to younger teen readers only if they're ready and like those topics tackled in their books (and many do!). I wouldn't put this on the level of Ellen Hopkins in terms of content, but I'd say it's a stepping stone to readers who will go to Hopkins down the road.
Longer review to come!
Something to know about Colette: she's a liar. She lies about everything. And it's not that she's an unreliable narrator. She's completely reliable -- if you accept she's a liar.
Colette and Connor are in lovvveee or so it feels. And when Colette tells her mother she needs alone time with Connor, away from her brother, her mother grants this wish to her. She even leaves a box of condoms, in order for them to be truly safe.
But Colette's not ready for that quite yet. Even though she's told Connor she's 18 (she's not -- she's 15) and that she's experiences (she's not -- she's a virgin), when the time comes for them to take their relationship somewhere more physical, she takes a stand and says no.
That's when Connor gets back at her for her lies.
It's all a rouse so he can get her to sleep with him. And yes, it's a big charade for a sexual encounter, but as he tells her later, he's gone further. It was a conquest for him. To make it more disturbing, he's not 18 like he claims.
He's 21.
Since no sex goes down -- Colette figures him out before it could happen -- there's no rape, no charges. But she wants to get back and get even.
Except, Colette comes around before the big "gotcha" happens.
The turnaround in Colette is believable and I was appreciative of it. I didn't love her as a character but that's why I was compelled by her. In fact, when she was prepared to take Connor for a ride herself, I was really invested. Would she REALLY go through with her plans or was this a rouse on us, as readers?
Spoiler
And in the end, we don't really know.I felt the end of this book was almost a cheap way out of the story. But I had to remember the main character is 15 -- just turned 16 at that point -- and so it was less of a cheap way out and more of a realistic way out of HER story. I believe her and it, even if it wasn't my favorite ending.
Sones masters verse novels. This is how verse WORKS. It plays with the story, and it tells enough, leaving enough UNSAID to make the reader wonder where and how Colette is leading us on. Her voice is spot on, and I thought the relationship she had with her learning-disabled younger brother was sweet and authentic. The wrap up with her mother and her mother's boyfriend was a little schmaltzy for me, but it was believable in context of the story.
This one is for YA readers who like challenging characters, who like verse novels, and who are good with "tough" topics like sex, drugs, and drinking in their books. Even though Colette is on the younger side, this is one to hand to younger teen readers only if they're ready and like those topics tackled in their books (and many do!). I wouldn't put this on the level of Ellen Hopkins in terms of content, but I'd say it's a stepping stone to readers who will go to Hopkins down the road.
Longer review to come!
Fifteen-year-old Colette is the daughter of a famous movie star, or maybe she’s the eighteen-year-old daughter of a movie star’s stand in. Depends who you ask, and Colette always has another story ready to tell. She’s addicted to lying, and who can blame her, it’s the most fun she can have while keeping her clothes– especially when her mom drags her away to spend her summer in the middle of nowhere on location. That’s where she meets Connor, gorgeous, older, funny, Connor, and so what if she tells a few lies? If he knew who her mother was, there’s no way he’d be interested in her. But as Colette’s fibs begin to pile up it’s not long before she realizes Connor may be keeping a big secret of his own as well.
It’s probably expected given that the main character is a compulsive liar, but I didn’t actually like Colette very much. I found her judgmental and a tad bit selfish, but given what she’s going through–a 15-year-old with an absent mother falling in love for the first time–I think those traits are probably authentic. It just didn’t make me love her, which made it difficult to have sympathy for her at times. I kinda liked that though, not everyone is totally innocent.
I did feel like Colette’s voice felt so real and the story itself was smoothly told and easy to read. I haven’t read a YA novel by Sones before for some insane reason, at least not that I remember, so I’m glad I finally got a chance to pick up a book by this master of verse. I was so inspired by her skill and storytelling-ability.
I found the relationships between Colette and her family members very genuine. This is a book that plays with extremes at times, but I still think it was honest and realistic as well as entertaining. Some of the lies are pretty funny, but at its heart, To Be Perfectly Honest by Sonya Sones has an emotional core with a heartfelt message. That said, as much as I loved the book, I wasn’t 100% blown away by the ending, which I found a bit predictable and easy, even if it was believable. I did love the ambiguity of the very last page though!
For readers hesitant about verse (you shouldn’t be!) here’s a quote just to show the simplicity and impact Sones’ writing can have (quote is from an ARC and subject to change):
“Connor laughs–a deep, throaty laugh.
And the sound of it
vibrates all through me…
like I’m a wind chime
and he’s
the breeze.”
Ultimately, even though To Be Perfectly Honest by Sonya Sones wasn’t a flawless novel, it was one I really enjoyed and basically devoured in an afternoon. Sones’ writing is approachable and honest, even if her main character isn’t! If you’re interested in a an easy-to-read story with a surprising amount of heft behind it, I highly recommend this book. I’m so glad I decided to read Sones’ latest novel, and I know I’ll be reaching for her blacklist in the future.
It’s probably expected given that the main character is a compulsive liar, but I didn’t actually like Colette very much. I found her judgmental and a tad bit selfish, but given what she’s going through–a 15-year-old with an absent mother falling in love for the first time–I think those traits are probably authentic. It just didn’t make me love her, which made it difficult to have sympathy for her at times. I kinda liked that though, not everyone is totally innocent.
I did feel like Colette’s voice felt so real and the story itself was smoothly told and easy to read. I haven’t read a YA novel by Sones before for some insane reason, at least not that I remember, so I’m glad I finally got a chance to pick up a book by this master of verse. I was so inspired by her skill and storytelling-ability.
I found the relationships between Colette and her family members very genuine. This is a book that plays with extremes at times, but I still think it was honest and realistic as well as entertaining. Some of the lies are pretty funny, but at its heart, To Be Perfectly Honest by Sonya Sones has an emotional core with a heartfelt message. That said, as much as I loved the book, I wasn’t 100% blown away by the ending, which I found a bit predictable and easy, even if it was believable. I did love the ambiguity of the very last page though!
For readers hesitant about verse (you shouldn’t be!) here’s a quote just to show the simplicity and impact Sones’ writing can have (quote is from an ARC and subject to change):
“Connor laughs–a deep, throaty laugh.
And the sound of it
vibrates all through me…
like I’m a wind chime
and he’s
the breeze.”
Ultimately, even though To Be Perfectly Honest by Sonya Sones wasn’t a flawless novel, it was one I really enjoyed and basically devoured in an afternoon. Sones’ writing is approachable and honest, even if her main character isn’t! If you’re interested in a an easy-to-read story with a surprising amount of heft behind it, I highly recommend this book. I’m so glad I decided to read Sones’ latest novel, and I know I’ll be reaching for her blacklist in the future.
That plot twist at the end! Daaaannnnggggg. It was a hilarious book that's for sure! I really enjoyed the lies that the main character would tell, they weaved an excellent and exciting story. One of my favorites of the year!
(Found reviews on my computer for books I read last year that I never posted so that is why I have written as if it was back then, this one I saw that I had wrote more about the book)
(Found reviews on my computer for books I read last year that I never posted so that is why I have written as if it was back then, this one I saw that I had wrote more about the book)
Colette is the daughter of a major Hollywood actress and has developed a knack for lying to escape from her mother's shadow. She's known for lying about anything and everything. Colette and her little brother even make a game of pretending its their birthday at restaurants to score free desert. When Colette's summer plans are abruptly cancelled due to her mother's filming schedule, Colette is convinced it's going to be the worst summer ever. On the way to the middle-of-nowhere town that the filming is taking place in, Colette spots a gorgeous guy on a motorcycle and decides that maybe summer won't be so terrible after all. She is even more pleased when biker-guy begins to pay attention to her. Colette worries, however, that her mother's fame will ruin this relationship just as it has so many others, so she lies about her age and background. What Colette doesn't count on is that her new boyfriend may be hiding a few secrets of his own.
This is the quintessential fun summer read. Since it's written in verse, the story moves extremely quickly. Colette is fun and sarcastic, if a bit naive. Her little brother is charming, though his lisping quickly starts to feel like a cutesy convention. Readers may see the twist coming, but will likely be entertained enough by the humor and pacing to forgive the somewhat cliched ending.
This novel comes out in late August. I received this ARC from the publisher at the ALA Annual Conference.
This is the quintessential fun summer read. Since it's written in verse, the story moves extremely quickly. Colette is fun and sarcastic, if a bit naive. Her little brother is charming, though his lisping quickly starts to feel like a cutesy convention. Readers may see the twist coming, but will likely be entertained enough by the humor and pacing to forgive the somewhat cliched ending.
This novel comes out in late August. I received this ARC from the publisher at the ALA Annual Conference.
Colette is a lier, that's the whole point. We learn about why honesty is important in any kind of relationship. It's ironic that super cute biker Conner, turns out to be just like her. In that sense, their the perfect match. Yet, it's learning this that ends up with Colette striving for an honest future. Little lisping Will, won my heart more then any character in this story. The siblings famous mother is pretty flat, offering only someone else Colette gets annoyed at. I almost thought Colette would go threw with the sex and the fake death prank. When Will gave her the blank notebook for her real birthday, I knew how the book would end. We are reading her first novel.
Do I recommend this one?
As Will says "I thertainly do"
Get ready to immerse in the verse.
Do I recommend this one?
As Will says "I thertainly do"
Get ready to immerse in the verse.
Lies. Love. All for a boy that has some secrets of his own. In verse so it's a quick read, with a compelling storyline.
Short story short: don't lie. For anyone.
Short story short: don't lie. For anyone.
Okay, so I'm not a huge fan of unreliable narrators but this book was actually really good! It kept me turning the pages and even had me tricked on some of the lies and deception. I'm also very happy that Colette was such a dynamic character. She wasn't this perfect storybook girl, she had lots of faults and by then end she realized that. I also like how it mentions that waning off the lying was a process. She was basically an addict going through a rehab process. This book definitely isn't in my top 10 or anything, but it was a good read and kept my attention!